Leadership and a strong Biblical worldview go hand in hand, and with Student Leadership Institute (SLi) and the Biblical Worldview Institute (BWi), activities whose focus are these topics, establishing yourself and growing as a leader is easily attainable. SLi is focused on taking a biblical approach to modern day problems and meets every Wednesday. BWi is a conference and met November 8-9 this year.
SLi, led by Mrs. Mary Carl Finkelstein, Director of Special Assignments, is a program that highlights one topic per year. This year’s topic revolves around the idea of free speech. They have speakers visit, hear different perspectives, then are given time to prepare a presentation they will then present to the SLi body as a whole. Mrs. Finkelstein, along with Dan Panetti, The Worldview and Diversity Director, choose the topic each year through student interest and prayer. “Mr. Panetti and I begin praying about each year’s topic every spring. We take a survey of the current SLi students to see what topics they are interested in, as well as watch current cultural trends. We discuss the student’s ideas and look for current events that we feel students will need a biblical answer to and decide from there.” said Mrs. Finkelstein
When asked about SLi’s mission, Mrs. Finkelstein said “[To] help students learn to think critically and question the ideas and events around them. Every ‘information’ outlet has a worldview. I want students to walk away from SLi questioning and discerning all the information they receive from a biblical worldview. I want them to understand that God’s word is the never changing, absolute truth, and if they know it, trust it, and obey, they will be blessed and can never go wrong. I also want them to understand that serving others is true leadership.” SLi is a great buttress to biblical worldview, as it teaches skepticism, which is especially important in the current day, where the lines between truth and popular opinion are blurred.
In relation to SLi, BWi is a more lecture-based meeting, bringing in speakers specializing in relevant topics to society, offering students a chance to think from different perspectives. The whole event lasts two days and at the end, students are assessed over what they have learned. BWi is a great opportunity and it takes quite a while to organize all the speakers to come in. As such, Mr. Panetti is respected as a valued member of staff.
The importance of having a strong biblical foundation is the main focus of PCA, and these organizations are a great way to take initiative and develop strong morals and leadership skills.
